désespoir

\de.zɛs.pwaʁ\

/\de.zɛs.pwaʁ\/ noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“désespoir” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #8,102 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#8,102
frequency rank, French
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Perte d’espérance ; état d’une personne qui a perdu toute espérance.

Key facts for désespoir
PropertyValue
Headworddésespoir
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\de.zɛs.pwaʁ\
Letters9
Frequency rank#8,102
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “désespoir” sits in French frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). désespoir lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for désespoir is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \de.zɛs.pwaʁ\. Corpus data places it at rank #8,102 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for désespoir, with forms such as "ddésespoir", "desespoir", and "dséespoir". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is désespoir, spelled D-É-S-E-S-P-O-I-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Perte d’espérance ; état d’une personne qui a perdu toute espérance.
  2. 2
    État violent de l’âme causé par une affliction qu’on ne cherche pas à surmonter.
  3. 3
    Contrariété, souci.
  4. 4
    Ce qui désespère.
  5. 5
    Jalousie ou envie de ce qui semble inaccessible.
  6. 6
    Chose qui est en un si haut degré d’excellence qu’elle passe pour inimitable.

Antonyms

espoir

This word in other languages

despair(English)desesperación(Español)Verzweiflung(Deutsch)desespero(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddésespoir,desespoir,dséespoir,déesspoir,désepsoir,désesopir,désespior,désespoirr,désespori,désesppoir,désesspoir,déssepoir,déssespoir,édsespoir

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of désespoir - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ddésespoir1desespoir1dséespoir2déesspoir2désepsoir2désesopir2désespior2désespoirr1
Edit distance from "désespoir"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "désespoir"?
"désespoir" is spelled D-É-S-E-S-P-O-I-R. The IPA pronunciation is \de.zɛs.pwaʁ\.
What does "désespoir" mean?
As a noun, "désespoir" means: Perte d’espérance ; état d’une personne qui a perdu toute espérance.
What are common misspellings of "désespoir"?
Common misspellings include "ddésespoir", "desespoir", "dséespoir", "déesspoir", "désepsoir". The correct spelling is "désespoir".
How do you pronounce "désespoir"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "désespoir" is \de.zɛs.pwaʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "désespoir" come from?
"désespoir" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “désespoir”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct French spelling is D-É-S-E-S-P-O-I-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \de.zɛs.pwaʁ\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list